Installation for manufacturing and/or assembling components

ABSTRACT

An installation for processing components comprises a series of workpiece supports having receptacles for holding the components. A feed device moves the workpiece supports in a conveying direction, and a respective lateral guideway alongside each side of the workpiece supports includes guide elements for guiding the workpiece supports in the conveying direction, the feed device being separate from, and operable independently of, the lateral guideways. A pressing device at one of the lateral guideways is arranged to bias the workpiece supports towards the opposite lateral guideway and perpendicularly to the conveying direction whereby the workpiece supports are held without play between the guide elements of the lateral guideways.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This is a continuation of my copending U.S. patent application Ser. No.474,833, filed Aug. 17, 1990, abandoned.

The invention relates to an installation for processing, i.e. machiningand/or assembling components on workpiece supports, which are providedwith receptacles to hold the components. The supports are guided on avertical and/or lateral guideway and are conveyed by a feed device.

In such installations, basically a distinction is made between so-calledloosely interlinked and rigidly interlinked workpiece supports. In theloosely interlinked installations, the workpiece supports are movedtotally independently of each other along the installation and when onedevice fails in a single work station, the activity in the other workstations is almost unaffected over a certain period of time. In therigidly interlinked installations, the workpiece supports are connectedfor common movement, so that in the case of disturbances in the regionof one work station, all the workpiece supports and all the workstations are blocked. Each of the two types of installation has itsspecific range of use. The rigidly interlinked installations are usedwhere only a few work stations are linked with each other. The looselyinterlinked installations are mostly used for the interlinking of alarge number of work stations, for example up to 40 work stations andover.

Various installations with loose interlinking have already becomeknown--for example from my U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,681,043, 4,762,218,4,619,205, 4,530,287 and 4,492,297, which have proved successful inpractice for the interlinking of a large number of work stations. Theworkpiece supports are in each case guided independently of each otheron vertical and lateral guideways comprising conveyor rollers pressedagainst the lateral faces of the workpiece supports, which provide acombined lateral and vertical guidance and conveyance of the workpiecesupports, and position them exactly over the entire course of such aninstallation.

Furthermore, rigidly interlinked installations are known, in which theindividual workpiece supports are connected via conveying chains--inaccordance with DE-OS 26 40 593--. It has been difficult to mass producesuch installations, or in each case to adapt them to a differingrequirement with a different number of work stations. Moreover, theinstalling of the chain onto the assembly or machining devices arrangedin the work stations was difficult.

Other known rigidly interlinked installations for machining andassembling components are formed by rotary tables which may also beinterlinked with each other if required via additional conveyingdevices--e.g. in accordance with DE-OS 31 34 195. Such rigidlyinterlinked installations can not be expanded subsequently by additionalwork stations, and require a large space, especially in the arrangementof several work stations in series. In addition, the accessibility theconstruction and also the maintenance are difficult because of thecompact arrangement of the assembly, handling or machining devicesinside the rotary table.

The present invention solves the problem of creating an installation formachining and/or assembling components, which in a technically simplemanner provides workpiece supports and guide devices for workpiecesupports, which makes the system able to be adapted to differingconditions of use. Moreover, it is also possible with such installationsto replace conventional rigid machining and/or assembling systems, whichare designed for a single case of application.

According to the invention, the workpiece support is provided withsupport rollers, which are guided on the vertical and/or lateralguideway and, between the workpiece support and one of the two lateralguideways or between a lateral guideway and a machine table holding thelatter, a pressing device is provided, which exerts a pressure in thedirection of the opposite lateral guideway, whereby it is possible togive the workpiece support an exactly defined position at every locationon its feed path, and hence also to position the equipment necessary forthe machining and/or assembling devices, and equip them with positioningsystems which make possible a rapid changeover from one piece ofequipment to another.

The feed device for conveying the workpiece support is separate from thevertical and/or lateral guideway, whereby it is possible in a verysimple manner to remove and introduce individual workpiece supports fromand into, an automated continuous process, and to move them manually asrequired.

It is also advantageous if the lateral guideway is formed by supportrollers arranged at a distance from each other along the guideway, whichrollers are mounted on axes extending vertically to upper side of thehousing parts wherealong the workpiece supports are conveyed, wherebycontinuous guide devices, which require a very high manufacturingaccuracy can be dispensed with. The support rollers are positioned onceand over a long period of use of the installation ensure the accuracy ofthe lateral guidance. In this embodiment, it is possible simply toarrange between the support rollers the controlling and regulatingdevices which are necessary for the monitoring and also the positioningof the workpiece supports. In addition, it is not necessary to positionindividual segments or modules of such an installation with a highdegree of precision with respect to each other, because only theaccurate position of the workpiece support on the module and in relationto the delivery--, operating-- and handling equipment arranged on themodule is important.

According to another embodiment, the support rollers are arranged onboth sides of a conveyor chain, whereby with the use of the samestructural elements, the workpiece supports may be guided in a straightline over distances of any length.

The support rollers may also be associated with a lateral face of theconveyor chain, and on the opposite longitudinal side a pressing deviceis arranged for the exerting of a compressive force in the direction ofthe support rollers. Any desired number of rollers may thus be mountedelastically, whereby all the workpiece supports rest without difficultyagainst support rollers arranged opposite the pressure rollers. Anaccurately defined position of the workpiece supports is therebyachieved without difficulty.

The pressing device may be formed by pressure rollers which are elasticin radial direction, and a distance between a relaxed pressure rollerand the opposite lateral guideway is smaller than a width of theconveyor chain or the workpiece supports coupled therewith, wherebyadditional mechanical structural elements can be spared. Through theelasticity of the pressure rollers, the distance transverse to theconveying direction between the guide- and pressure rollers can beproduced with little technical expenditure, and also the workpiecesupports can have a greater width tolerance compared with other systems.

The pressure rollers and support rollers are arranged so as to bestaggered with respect to each other in the conveying direction of theconveyor chain, whereby a better directional stability of the workpiecesupports a quiet and vibration-free operation of the entire installationis achieved.

According to another embodiment, the pressure rollers and/or the supportrollers are coupled with a drive, e.g. a drive motor or a chain-- orbelt drive, in which case the guiding-- and feeding function is unitedin one structural element, whereby the entire installation istechnically simplified.

It is also advantageous if the workpiece supports are constructed aschain elements and are connected with each other into a conveyor chainby means of link pins running parallel to a transport plane andperpendicularly to the conveying direction, and that there is associatedwith the conveyor chain a feed device formed by a stepping drive,because thereby a central feed drive is possible, from which at the sametime a large number of workpiece supports can be moved along a conveyingdirection. This drive can also at the same time be designed as apositioning system for all the workpiece supports.

According to another embodiment, the workpiece supports arearticulatedly connected with a revolving conveyor chain, and there isassociated with the conveyor chain a feed drive which is constructed asa stepping device. This makes it possible to use a commerciallyavailable and very simple chain as conveyor chain and to couple theworkpiece supports at any desired distances to chain elements, and henceto adapt the installation to the actual requirements.

One or more of the pressure rollers arranged on the workpiece supportmay be connected with a feed drive connected with an energy storagedevice arranged on the workpiece support, which device is connected witha coupling device for an energy supply device. In at least one workstation a connection device connected with the coupling device from afurther energy system is provided, whereby the installation can bedesigned so as to be variable in the timing of the conveyance of theindividual work stations. It is, in addition, also possible,independently of a uniform speed of a conveyor chain, through theselection of differing speeds of the drive devices arranged on theworkpiece support, to adapt the speed to the conveying path to becovered between the individual stations. Such installations areparticularly suitable where for various reasons working areas have to beseparated and therebetween longer conveying paths are to be covered.Through the selection of a high feed speed for these conveying paths,also the number of workpiece supports necessary for a cylic process canbe minimized.

According to a further embodiment, it is additionally advantageous thatthere are associated with the workpiece supports on the underside facingthe conveying plane friction rollers of a feed device, which rotateabout axes extending parallel to the conveying plane and vertically tothe conveying direction. This makes it possible to convey the workpiecesupports also over regions which are not equipped with lateral guidedevices. For example, this is advantageous if in such regions theworkpiece supports are to be removed or inserted transversely to theconveying direction.

The lateral guideways may also be arranged on the workpiece supportparallel to the conveying direction, and the guide elements cooperatingwith the lateral guideways may be arranged transversely to the conveyingdirection so as to be adjustable on the housing part. They are providedwith a pressing device and have a length which corresponds to the lengthof the workpiece support. Commercially available machine parts can beused which are manufactured with a high degree of precision and in largenumbers.

The pressing device may be associated with one part of the length of thelateral guideway. This makes it is possible to arrange a simpletransverse conveying device for the workpiece supports, in order to movethese to conveying paths or storage paths parallel to the conveyingdirection.

According to a further embodiment, entrainment elements, such as toothedracks are mounted on the underside of the workpiece supports and areengaged by drive gears particularly in conjunction with feed devicesformed by stepping motors, this provides an accurate positioning of theworkpiece supports.

The workpiece support may be constructed in several parts and a lowerpart is supported on rollers while an exchangeable upper part, hasreceptacles for the component. Such multi-part workpiece supports can beused for differing components--through the use of the upper partsprovided with the corresponding receptacles.

According to a further embodiment of such multi-part workpiece supports,the axle journals of the rollers may be arranged rotationallysymmetrically with respect to the joining plane of the workpiece supportparts. Such workpiece supports can be manufactured with a high degree ofprecision, without additional machining in injection die moulds or diecast moulds.

For a better understanding of the invention, the latter is explained infurther detail hereinafter by means of the preferred embodimentsillustrated in the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows an installation constructed according to the invention, inside view in simple schematic representation;

FIG. 2 shows a housing part of the installation according to theinvention with interlinked workpiece supports and the devices forlateral and vertical guidance in diagrammatic and greatly simplifiedrepresentation;

FIG. 3 shows the workpiece support according to FIG. 2 in front viewpartially in section and with the devices for lateral and verticalguidance associated therewith;

FIG. 4 shows one embodiment of a part of an installation constructedaccording to the invention in front view with the device for lateral andvertical guidance;

FIG. 5 shows a side view of the device for lateral and verticalguidance, partially in section according to the lines V--V in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 shows another embodiment of a part of an installation constructedaccording to the invention, with a workpiece support in front view andof the device for lateral and vertical guidance;

FIG. 7 shows a workpiece support in front view with a device accordingto the invention for lateral and vertical guidance with a part of aninstallation constructed according to the invention;

FIG. 8 shows a modified embodiment of a workpiece support in front viewwith a lateral and vertical guideway constructed according to theinvention, and with a feed arrangement;

FIG. 9 shows yet another embodiment of a workpiece support in front viewand a device according to the invention for lateral and verticalguidance;

FIG. 10 shows a workpiece support in front view with a part of aninstallation constructed according to the invention and with the devicefor lateral and vertical guidance;

FIG. 11 shows a further embodiment of a workpiece support in front viewwith a device according to the invention for lateral and verticalguidance;

FIG. 12 shows a workpiece support in front view with a variant of alateral and vertical guideway constructed according to the invention;

FIG. 13 shows another embodiment of a workpiece support in front viewwith a lateral and vertical guideway according to the invention;

FIG. 14 shows another embodiment of a workpiece support in front viewwith devices according to the invention for lateral and verticalguidance, and with a feed arrangement;

FIG. 15 shows a workpiece support in front view with a feed arrangementand a variant of a device for lateral and vertical guidance according tothe invention;

FIG. 16 shows another embodiment of a feed arrangement on a workpiecesupport with a device for lateral and vertical guidance constructedaccording to the invention;

FIG. 17 shows a modified embodiment of a workpiece support in front viewin section with devices constructed according to the invention forlateral and vertical guidance;

FIG. 18 shows a side view, partially in section of the embodiment ofFIG. 17;

FIG. 19 shows another embodiment of an installation constructedaccording to the invention, with a workpiece support in plan view andwith the device for lateral and vertical guidance;

FIG. 20 shows installation in front view, partially in section accordingto lines XX--XX in FIG. 19;

FIG. 21 shows a part of an installation constructed according to theinvention in plan view and with schematic representation of the supply-and control device; and

FIGS. 22 to 26 respectively show modifications of the embodimentsillustrated in FIGS. 1, 3, 4, 5 and 14.

FIGS. 1 to 3 an installation 1 for the processing of components 2. Thesecomponents 2 are arranged on workpiece supports 3. To hold thecomponents 2 on the workpiece supports 3, receptacles 4 are connectedwith the workpiece support 3 or are integral therewith. The workpiecesupports 3 in the present embodiment form a conveyor chain 5. A feeddevice 6 serves to move the conveyor chain 5, which feed device isarranged in the region of a deflection station 7 for the conveyor chain5. Between the two deflection stations 7 there are several housing parts8, which in the embodiment illustrated are constructed so as to beself-supporting. These housing parts 8 have front plates 9 facing eachother, which may be connected with each other via guide and/or couplingdevices 10 into a self-supporting housing unit. Upper and lowerguideways 11,12 run perpendicularly to front plates 9, the upper courseof conveyor chain 5 being guided in the guideway 11 and the returningcourse of the conveyor chain 5 being guided in guideway 12. Via theguide and/or coupling devices 10 between the individual housing parts 8,the guideways 11 and 12, which are arranged in a row adjacent to eachother, form a continuous planar guide device for the conveyor chain 5.The installation 1 formed from the housing parts 8 and the deflectionstations 7 is supported via support devices 13 on a support surface 14.

The support devices 13 are formed by L-shaped supports arranged inmirror image to a vertical plane of symmetry 15, with which side walls16 of the housing parts 8 are connected. For simple attachment of theL-shaped supports on the lateral walls 16, longitudinal assembly strips17 are provided, forming a continuous attachment device. These assemblystrips 17 are formed, for example, by T-shaped grooves, into whichblocks 18 with a cross-sectional shape matching the groove shape areinserted, which blocks on the ends facing the support devices 13 areprovided, for example, with a thread, whereby by means of nuts thesupport devices 13 are pressed against the lateral walls 16 of thehousing parts 8 and are fixed with respect thereto. An advantage of theuse of such a continuous attachment device lies in that the supportdevices 13 can be positioned in any desired position along theinstallation 1, so as not to obstruct the arrangement of work stationsor handling or delivery equipment associated therewith. Likewise, thesecontinuous attachment devices can, however, also serve for the fixing ofthe end positions of delivery equipment or handling devices, wherebythey are able to be used in a multiple manner.

As can be seen from the illustration in FIG. 1 and 2, the housing parts8 have uniform dimensions, such as a length 19, a height 20 and a width21. Thereby, it is readily possible to join the housing parts 8 togetherin a seamless manner and also to exchange individual housing parts 8without difficulty. Through the continuous attachment device in the formof the assembly strip 17, it is thereby additionally made possible thatin the exchanging of individual housing parts 8, the housing parts 8immediately adjoining can be supported provisionally by means of supportdevices 13, so that for example the faulty housing part 8 or the workstation arranged in the region thereof, can be simply replaced by adifferently designed work station.

With a precise longitudinal alignment of this attachment device, it isalso possible through the insertion of slides in the transition regionbetween adjacent housing parts 8, to position these two housing parts bymeans of this slide both vertically and laterally and to fix them intheir position. A suitable construction of the guide and/or couplingdevice 10 would make it possible for the individual housing parts 8 tobe dismantled or to be built in vertically to the feed direction of theworkpiece supports, as indicated by arrow 22.

As can be additionally seen, the support devices 13 can be equipped withfoot elements which are adjustable vertically to the support surface 14,in order to make possible a horizontal arrangement of the installationindependently of unevenness of the support surface 14.

In FIG. 2 a housing part 8 is shown. The guideway 11 supports the uppercourse of the conveyor chain 5 and comprises guide strips 23 for thevertical guidance of the chain elements forming the workpiece supports3. Guideways 24,25 serve for lateral guidance and are formed by supportrollers 28 and pressure rollers 29 arranged one behind the other at adistance 26 and 27 in the conveying direction--arrow 22. The supportrollers 28 are associated with a lateral face 30 of the workpiecesupport 3 and the pressure rollers 29 are associated with a lateral face31 lying opposite this lateral face 30. Pressure rollers 29 exert apressure onto the workpiece supports 3 indicated by an arrow 32 in thedirection of the support rollers 28 so that the workpiece supports 3assume an exact position transversely to the direction of movementaccording to arrow 22, which position is accurate down to a fraction ofa millimetre. The exact vertical guidance is ensured here by the guidestrips 23.

In order to make possible an exact vertical and lateral guidance of theworkpiece supports 3 over a long period of time, the latter aresupported on the guide strips 23 via rollers 33. These rollers 33 aremounted on an axis serving as link pin 34. The link pin 34 connects twoworkpiece supports 3 which directly succeed each other for commonmovement in the conveying direction. The vertical guidance of theworkpiece support 3 is effected by rollers 33 and the rollers 33associated with the immediately preceding workpiece support, eachworkpiece support 3 resting on these rollers 33 by means of hinge pins34. In order to make possible an independent lateral positioning foreach workpiece support 3, a width 35 of a recess 36 in the workpiecesupport 3 is greater than a width 37 of a coupling port 38 mounted onthe link pin 34. This makes it possible to displace immediatelysucceeding workpiece supports laterally relative to each other and thelateral adjustment of the workpiece supports 3 is therefore onlyinfluenced by the position of the lateral guideway 25 and not by theposition of the conveyor chain 5 as such.

As can be further seen from FIG. 2, the housing part 8 is constructed inone piece and on its underside has a guideway 12, formed by guide strips39, in which the returning course of the conveyor chain 5 is guided viathe rollers 33. Vertical guide surfaces 40 serve for the lateralguidance of the workpiece supports 3 along guide strips 39. The twoparts receiving the guideways 11 and 12 are connected with each othervia the front plates 9. In this front plate 9 there are arranged fittingpins 41 and bores 42 for screws 43, which together form the guide and/orcoupling device 10. In addition, the continuous attachment device, whichis formed as an assembly strip 17 with a T-shaped cross-section, isshown. Instead of the fitting pins 41, a coupling strip 44 guided in theassembly strip 17 can be used for connecting the housing parts 8 at thesame level. If this coupling strip 44 is provided with bores 45, screwsinserted therein can couple adjacent housing parts 8 to each other.

A free space 46 is delimited by the guideways 11,12 and the front plates9, in which free space a table plate 47 is arranged.

A length 48 of the table plate 47 is smaller than a length 49 of thefree space 46. This makes it possible to a limited extent, to displaceand position the table plate 47 in the feed direction--arrow 22--withrespect to the housing part 8. The guidance and attachment of the tableplate 47 can take place, as indicated diagrammatically, by means ofretaining clips 50, which are suspensed in the assembly strip 17.

The drawing also shows an opening 51 between the guide strips 23 throughwhich access is possible to the workpiece supports 3 from below.Thereby, additional supports of the workpiece support 3 can be provided,especially in those stations which in the assembly of parts 2necessitates a relieving of the rollers 33 of the workpiece support 3.It is also possible to provide rotatable parts in the workpiece support3, which can be adjusted into different rotational positions by drivesacting from below.

In FIG. 3, the arrangement of the link pin 34 and its mounting in thecoupling part 38 and in the workpiece support 3 is shown. The link pin34 is supported in the coupling part 38 in a bearing 52, whichpreferably is a roller- or needle bearing. It is journaled in a bore 53in the lateral face 30 of the workpiece support 3. There is arranged infront of the end of the link pin 34 in the region of the lateral face30, a lateral guide strip 54, which fixes it against movementstransversely to the feed direction. This lateral guide strip 54, whichmay consist for example of a hardened metal strip, serves as a supportfor the support rollers 28, which are rotatable about vertical axis 55,which in turn are supported in the housing part 8. In the region of theopposite lateral face 31, the link pin 34 is mounted in a blind bore 56.Further bores 57 in the workpiece support 3 are bearings to receive andhold the link pin 34. Between these bores 57 and the blind bore 56 andthe bore 53, respectively two rollers 33 are arranged adjacent to eachother. Owing to the selected construction, it is therefore possible in asimple manner to drive the conveyor chain 5 almost free of play and freeof wear over a long period of time, because the guidance of theworkpiece support 3 with respect to the guide strips 23 takes place inthe form of a rolling friction by the rolling of the rollers 33 on theguide strips 23. Likewise, the movements between the workpiece supports3 which immediately succeed each other, are carried out principally inthe region of the deflection station 7 via the bearing 52, so that arolling friction and not a sliding friction takes place, in this regiontoo.

As can be further seen from FIG. 3, the lateral face 31 runs obliquelyto the plane of symmetry 15. The distance of this lateral face 31 fromthe vertical plane of symmetry 15 decreases as its distance from guidestrip 23 increases. Likewise, the pressure rollers 29 which areassociated with the lateral face 31 are tapered, narrowing towards thehousing part 8. The pressure rollers 29 are likewise rotatably mountedon vertical axes 55, which are secured in the housing part 8. In themodified embodiment illustrated in FIG. 23, these axes 55 of thepressure rollers 29 are coupled to a drive motor 58, which supports thefeed movement of the feed device 6.

In order to make possible a guidance of the workpiece supports 3 free ofplay along the lateral guideway 25 formed by the support rollers 28, adistance 59 between the axes 55 of the pressure rollers 29 and thesupport rollers 28 is smaller than a width 60 of the workpiece support 3including a radius of the support roller 28 and a radius 61 of thepressure roller 29. Through the pressure roller 29, which is elasticallydeformable in radial direction, a pressure running in the direction ofthe arrow 32 is exerted on support rollers 28 so that the workpiecesupport 3 rests against the support rollers 28 in a play-free manner. Atthe same time, through the tapered construction of the pressure rollers29 a pressure is also exerted in the direction of the guide strips 23,which leads to the workpiece support 3 resting in a play-free manner onthese guidestrips 23. Thus, despite the construction of the workpiecesupport 3 as a chain element, a play-free guidance thereof is possiblealong the vertical and lateral guideways 23 and 25.

As is further shown, it is possible through the assembly strip 17 toexactly position an end of a linear conveying track 62 of a deliveryapparatus in its position with respect to the housing part 8, so that onremoval of individual parts 63, the latter can be picked up by adiagrammatically indicated gripper 64 always exactly at the correctlocation and brought to be deposited onto the workpiece support 3.

Through this supporting of the linear conveying track 62 via asupporting bracket in the assembly strip 17, a positioning of the linearconveying track is possible both vertically and also in the directiontransversely to the direction of movement and of course also in thedirection of movement.

FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate another embodiment of a play-free lateralguideway for the workpiece support 3. Guide rods 65,66 are arranged onhousing part 8 are spaced apart from each other transversely to theconveying direction--arrow 22--of the workpiece supports 3. The guide 65is arranged on the housing part 8 with a support piece 67 at a distancefrom top face 68 of the housing part. On its end opposed to the guide65, the support piece 67 has a base 69, which is arranged in a recess 70of the housing part 8. The support piece 67 is tapered in the shape of asaddle roof in the direction of the guide 65, and is connected with theguide 65 on its flattened part which matches the outline of the guide65, with connection means, such as screws 71, for example. The guide 66is likewise arranged on a support piece 72 whose base 69 is displaceablein a guide arrangement 74, such as for example a dovetail guide, whichis formed by a recess 73 running perpendicularly to the longitudinalaxis of the guide rod 66. In a bore 75 arranged parallel to the guidearrangement 74 in the support piece 72, between a front end 76 of thebore 75 and an abutment 77 arranged on the housing part 8, there isarranged a pressing device 78 illustrated as a coil spring. In recesses79 of the workpiece support 3 there are arranged at a distancecorresponding to the mean distance of the guides 65,66, guide elements80, e.g. linear ball bearing bushes.

Through the transverse displaceability of the guide 66 in the guidearrangement 74 and the pressing device 78, the guide element 80 ispressed in a play-free manner against the fixed guide 65 through thepressure force exerted by the spiral spring in the direction of an arrow81. Thereby, the play which is necessitated by manufacturing techniquebetween the guides 65,66 and the guide elements 80 is balanced out andin relation to the fixed guide 65 an accurately defined position of theworkpiece support 3 is achieved.

As can be further seen from FIGS. 24 and 25, the guideways 24,25 can beinterrupted in a region in which a play-free guidance is not soimportant, and can be replaced by guide strips 23 and guide rollers 33.In order to be able to continue from such a region again to a regionwith play-free guidance, the beginning of guide 66 has the shape oftruncated cone facing in a direction opposite to the conveyingdirection--arrow 22--, whereby the workpiece support 3 reaches theregion of play-free guidance smoothly.

Of course, however, it is also possible as represented in FIG. 5, toconstruct the guides 65,66 so as to be continuous. In such a case, theguideways 11,12 and the rollers 33 can be dispensed with.

In FIG. 6, the guideways 24,25 are also formed by guide rods 65, 66 butthey are arranged on the lateral edges of the workpiece support 3.Again, guide 65 is arranged on a support piece 67 so as to be rigidagainst the workpiece support 3. On the opposite lateral edge of theworkpiece support 3, the guide 66 in the workpiece support 3 is slidablymounted via a pressing device 78 in a guide arrangement 74 arranged atright angles to the longitudinal axis of the workpiece support 3.Detachably connected with the housing part 8 and at a distance above itstop surface 68, supporting elements 83 with recesses 79 for guideelements 80, e.g. linear ball bearing bushes, are arranged, whereby afree space between the top surface 68 and the underside 84 of theworkpiece support 3 is formed, so that individual parts which havefallen down can not impede the conveyance of the workpiece supports. Thesupporting elements 83 with the guide elements 80 arranged therein arespaced in the conveying direction a distance which is smaller than halfthe length of the guides 65 determined by the length of the workpiecesupport 3. Thereby it is ensured that the workpiece support 3 is guidedso as to be free of play in every position by the guide elements 80associated with the guides 65,66, under the pressure of the springconstituting pressing device 78.

In FIG. 7 the guideways 24,25 are arranged on the housing part 8parallel to the conveying direction of the workpiece support 3. Aguideway 25 again is formed by guide rod 65, which is arranged fixedlyon a support piece 67 on the housing part 8. There is associated withthe guide 65 a guide element 80, which is arranged in a recess 79 of theworkpiece support 3. arrangement 74 is arranged opposite guide rod 65 inthe housing part 8 in a recess 73, which guide arrangement slidablysupports a support piece 72 via a pressing device 78 at right angles tothe conveying direction. Support pieces 72 are spaced from each other inthe conveying direction and carry guide strips 85. These, together withrollers 33 arranged in the workpiece support 3 and rotatably mounted onaxes extending parallel to the top surface 68 and perpendicularly to theconveying direction of the workpiece support 3, form the vertical and/orlateral guideway 24. Guide strip 85 can be adjusted transversely to theconveying direction by coil spring 82 constituting pressing device 78and carries with it the workpiece support 3 via rollers 33 associatedtherewith. This displacement force in the direction of the arrow 81brings about that the guide 65 is placed free of play against the guideelements 80 and the latter in turn are placed free of play against therecesses 79, so that a play-free lateral and vertical guidance of theworkpiece support 3 is achieved.

FIG. 8, the guideway 24 of workpiece support 3 is formed by guide rod 66running in the conveying direction and the guide elements 80 associatedtherewith. On the housing part 8, supporting elements 83 are arrangedspaced from each other in the conveying direction and support linearball bearing bushes 80, which are associated with guide 66 fixedlyconnected via the support piece 72 with the lateral edge of theworkpiece support 3. On the opposite lateral edge of the workpiecesupport 3, a wedge-shaped guide strip 86 is arranged, the face 87 ofwhich forms an acute angle with the underside 84 of the workpiecesupport 3. Pressure rollers 29 of feed device 6' engage the inclinedface 87, the longitudinal central axes of which are arranged at rightangles to the top surface 68. In order to make possible a play-freeguidance of the workpiece supports 3 along the guideway 24, the pressurerollers 29 are elastically deformable in radial direction. Thereby apressure in the direction of an arrow 89 is brought about, which isdivided into a force component 90 and a force component arrow 91. Forcecomponent arrow 90 compensates for play along the vertical and/orlateral guideway 24, whereby the latter forms a predetermined referenceline or position.

The force component--arrow 91--prevents a lifting of the rollers 33 fromthe guide strip 23. As indicated by dashed lines, each of these pressurerollers 29, which are spaced from each other in the conveying direction,has associated therewith its own drive 92. However, it is also possibleto associate with a number of pressure rollers 29 a common drive, e.g. achain drive.

FIG. 9 illustrates yet another embodiment of guideways 24,25 of aworkpiece support 3 along a conveying direction. Along the housing part8 and spaced from each other in the conveying direction there arearranged support roller 28, mounted rotatably about vertically axes. Onthe underside of the workpiece support 3 there are arranged guides 66'which are matched to the V-shaped section of the support rollers 28.Transversely to the conveying direction and at a distance from the guiderollers 28, pressure rollers 29 are mounted so as to be rotatable aboutvertical axes in the housing part 8, and which have a section in theform of a truncated cone narrowing towards the top surface 68 of thehousing part 8. Close to the guide strips 86 associated with thepressure rollers, rollers 33, which are rotatably mounted abouthorizontal axes, are arranged on the workpiece support 3, with whichrollers guide strips 23 are associated on the housing part 8. Elasticpressure rollers 29 and support rollers 28 engaging the guide 66 assumea play-free vertical and/or lateral guidance 24 by pressing the guide 66against the support rollers 28.

In FIGS. 10 and 11, guideways 24,25 for a workpiece support 3 are formedby guides 65'66' on the workpiece support 3. On the housing part 8,support rollers 28 are rotatably mounted about axes arranged verticallywith respect to top surface 68. There are associated therewith guides65' spaced from each other on the workpiece support 3 in the conveyingdirection. Guides 66' are arranged on the workpiece support 3, oppositeguides 65' and are engaged by pressure rollers 29 are associated, whichare rotatably mounted on support pieces 72 on axes extending verticallyto top surface 68. The support pieces 72 are slidably arranged in aguide arrangement 74 perpendicularly to the conveying direction and inthe direction of an arrow 94. The spiral spring 82 exerts a pressureforce against the guide 66 and hence compensates for play in theguideway 25, whereby the fixed guide 65' together with the supportrollers 28 forms the reference position. As illustrated, the guides65'66' may have v-shaped cross-sectional shapes and the support rollers28 and pressure rollers 29 have a running face which is adapted to theguides 65' 66'. However, as shown in FIG. 11, guides 65"66" may be ofround cross section and support and pressure rollers 28', 29" may haveconforming arcuate circumferences engaging the guides direction.

In FIGS. 12 and 13, different arrangements of support rollers 28'pressure rollers 29" and guides 65"66" are illustrated. The rollers aremounted on the outside and hold the guides 65,66 therebetween, theguides being mounted on the workpiece support 3 as in FIG. 12, or on thehousing part 8, as in FIG. 13, and the support rollers and pressurerollers 29 being respectively mounted on the housing part and theworkpiece support. The guidance functions in the same manner asdescribed in connection with FIGS. 10 and 11. pressure rollers 29, aplay-free guidance of the workpiece supports 3 in the conveyingdirection is achieved, and through the fixed support rollers 28, areference position is formed.

FIGS. 14 and 15 show further arrangements of guideways 24,25 for theplay-free guidance of workpiece supports 3 and of feed device 6".Rollers 33 are rotatably mounted on the lateral edges of the workpiecesupports 3 and engage guide strips 23', which are arranged on thehousing part 8 in the conveying direction. Inclined contact surfaces 93of the guide strips 23' are engaged by pressure rollers 29" which arerotatably mounted about vertical axes. The bias exerted by pressingdevice 78 on the pressure rollers 29" and the reaction force--arrow94--opposing the pressure force assure a play-free guidance of driverollers 95 of the workpiece supports 3 along inclined contact surfaces93 of the guide strip 23'. Feed device 6" comprises drive rollers 95rotated about vertical axes by a motor 96 mounted on workpiece support3. An energy supply device 98 may be coupled to a storage device 97 atspecifiable intervals of time, in order to supply it with the energynecessary for the operation of the motors 96. The energy storage devicearranged on the workpiece support 3 may be for example a battery or astore for a pressure medium, for example hydraulic oil or compressedair.

FIG. 26 shows a modification of the embodiment of FIG. 14, wherein thepressure roller 29"' and drive roller 95' are arranged in a U-shapedrecess open in the direction of workpiece support 3. The recess may haveanother cross-section for a play-free lateral guidance of the workpiecesupports.

In FIG. 16, the workpiece support 43 is supported via rollers 33 onguide strips 23' arranged on the housing part 8, and is movable along aconveying direction. The facing lateral faces 99 of the guide strips 23'are arranged obliquely and inclined toward each other of the housingpart 8 a smaller space is produced between the inclined lateral faces 99of the guide strip 23' than a space on the face 68. Associated with thelateral faces 99 are support rollers 28" which are rotatably mountedabout vertical axes on the workpiece support 3, and having a surface inthe shape of a truncated cone matched to the inclination of the lateralface 99. At a distance from the support rollers 28, there are associatedwith the further guide strip 23' on the workpiece support 3, pressurerollers 29"' which are displaceable via a guide arrangement and apressing device 78 transversely to the conveying direction. Thereby, aplay-free guidance of the workpiece supports 3 is achieved. Feed device6"' for the workpiece supports 3 comprise cylindrical friction rollers100 rotatable about horizontal axes. To achieve the frictional valuesnecessary for the conveying of the workpiece supports, a covering havinga high friction coefficient is preferably arranged on the surface of thefriction rollers 100. The distance between the friction rollers 100,which are arranged one behind the other in the conveying direction, issmaller than the length of the workpiece support 3, so that at least onefriction roller 100 engages the underside 84 of the workpiece support 3.The friction rollers 100 may be driven by a continuous driving member101, e.g. a V-belt, flat belt or a chain, with which there is associateda drive motor. However, it is also possible to associate an individualdrive with each friction roller 100. Thereby it is possible to drive thefriction rollers 100 at different rotational speed rates and hence tooperate the system in a very flexible manner.

In FIGS. 17 and 18, a multi-port workpiece support 3' is illustrated,which is divided by a horizontal plane of division 102 into an upperpart 103 and a lower part 104. There are arranged on the lateral edgesof the lower part 104 guide faces 105 engaged by support rollers 28 andelastically deformable pressure rollers 29. The support rollers 28 arerotatably mounted on vertical axis and are spaced from each other in theconveying direction in a strip 106. Rollers 33 of the workpiece support3 engage the guide strips 23. The rollers 33 are rotatably mounted withhorizontal axle journals 107 in recesses 108 arranged symmetrically withrespect to the plane of division 102. In the upper part 103, the recess4' for the component 2 is arranged and pins 109, e.g. cylindrical pins,position the parts with respect to each other. Thereby a rapidchangeover of the workpiece supports 3 for components 2 with differentshapes is possible. The feed device 6"" of the workpiece supports 3 is,as illustrated, formed by a driven driving gear 110 which is rotatablymounted in the housing part 8 about a horizontal axis and engagestoothed wheel, a cam 111, e.g. a rack 111, which is arranged on theunderside of the lower part 104 and this feed device makes possible adisplacement or adaption of the position of the workpiece support,transversely to the direction of movement, to the lateral guideways andthe support rollers 28, without impending the conveyance of theworkpiece supports.

In FIGS. 19 and 20, the guideways 24,25 are arranged on plane surfaces112,113 of top surface 68 of the housing part 8. They include guidestrips 23 extending in the conveying direction of the workpiece supports3 and rails 114 having lateral extension 115 supporting rollers 33arranged in the workpiece support 3. Support rollers 28 of the guideway24 are rotatably mounted on vertical axes in the housing part 8.Radially elastic pressure rollers 29 are rotatably mounted on verticalaxes on the rail 114. Adjustment drives 116 are associated with the rail114 and the adjusted rail is held in position by fixing devices 117.This makes it possible for the width 60 of the workpiece support 3 to begreater than a distance 59 between the guide rollers 28 and the pressureroller 29, reduced by their radii 119,120. The radius 120 is thereforereduced by a deformation of the pressure roller 29 to a distance 121.Thereby, a pressure force is exerted in the direction of an arrow 122,and a play-free guidance of the workpiece support 3 along the guideway24 is obtained. The adjustment drive 116 may for example, asillustrated, be formed by screws, but also by stepping motor drives,eccentric drives or cylinder drives, whereby an automatic control of thedistance 59 is achieved for variable widths 60 of the workpiece supports3. Thereby, installations which are thus equipped can be matched veryrapidly to altered requirements through the possibilities of adjustmentand changeover, and they are therefore able to be used universally. Asfurther illustrated by dashed lines, the support rollers 28 may alsohave a tapered running surface narrowing in the direction of the face68, whereby a lifting of the workpiece support 3 on this longitudinalside can be additionally prevented. It is also additionally possible toarrange several support rollers 28 on a common assembly strip 123 and tolikewise associate with the assembly strip 123 an adjustment drive andan attachment device. Through the arrangement of the support rollers 28and pressure rollers 29 on assembly strips 123 and assembly rails 114adjustable transversely to the conveying direction, the bores 125associated with the axes 124 in the housing part 8 are able to beconstructed with an excess taking into account the adjustment path andwithout requiring precision.

FIG. 21 illustrates a part of an installation 1' according to theinvention is illustrated, with feed device comprising motors of varioustypes, for example electric stepping motors or pneumatic motors. Such aninstallation is composed of a number of housing parts 8 with the guidestrips 23 arranged thereon and support rollers 28 for the guidance ofthe workpiece supports 3 holding the components 2. Energy supply devices98 transmit energy, for example electrical energy, or a pressure medium,for example compressed air or pressure oil, from the housing parts 8 tothe workpiece supports 3. The supply device 98 may be formed, as inFIGS. 14 and 15, by sliding contacts or plug contacts, which are broughtinto connection with the coupling parts of the storage device 97 on theworkpiece support 3 automatically or by spring action or by their owndrives. In the illustrated embodiment, spring-loaded contacts areprovided with contact rollers which, when the workpiece support 3 runsinto the region of the supply device 98 automatically engage thecorresponding coupling members of the workpiece support 3. Consequently,electrical energy can be transferred and stored in the storage device 97formed by a battery. This storage device 97 may, however, be formed forexample in the case of a pressure medium by a hydraulic oil reservoir ora compressed air storage container.

Furthermore, handling equipment 130 or other machining or manipulatingdevices or delivery equipment are attached to the housing parts 8. Thestorage devices 97, as shown in position 131, are supplied with energyvia the supply device 98 as required, or at intervals, but in particularin the region of the machining sites, i.e. whilst the workpiece supports3 are at a standstill. At the same time, with the transmission ofenergy, control signals, measurement data or various positions can betransmitted from an external processor 132 to the control device 133arranged on the workpiece support. These control commands can establishthe next position of the workpiece support 3 or also the speed for thefollowing conveying section. The positions 131 and 134 are picked up viasensors 135,136, connected with the processor 132, such as, for exampleinduction measured value pickups or optical and/or electronic readingdevices, and are held with positioning devices 137. A common computer138 coordinates the external processors 132 and monitors the entireoperation. Furthermore, an energy source 139 is connected via atransformer 140 to the computer combination 141 and energy supply device98 arranged on the housing parts 8.

As illustrated in FIG. 22 instead of with the feed drive 6, such asinstallation can be operated with a device which makes possible a timedfeed movement in the conveying direction. Such a device is, for example,a cylinder 126, acted upon by compressed air or pressure oil, the linearmovement of which is converted into a rotational movement of an axis 127of the deflection station, such as, for example, by a catch 128 arrangedon the piston rod of the cylinder 126 and a catch wheel 129 arranged onthe axis 127.

I claim:
 1. An installation for processing components, whichcomprises(a) a series of workpiece supports having receptacles forholding the components, each workpiece support having opposite sides,(b) a feed device for moving the workpiece supports in a conveyingdirection extending parallel to the workpiece support sides, (c) arespective lateral guideway alongside each side of the workpiecesupports and including guide elements for guiding the workpiece supportsin the conveying direction,(1) the feed device being separate from, andoperable independently of, the lateral guideways, and (d) a pressingdevice at one of the lateral guideways and arranged to bias theworkpiece supports towards the opposite lateral guideway andperpendicularly to the conveying direction whereby the workpiecesupports are held without play between the guide elements of the lateralguideways,(1) the guide elements comprising radially elastic pressurerollers arranged between the one lateral guideway and the workpiecesupports, the pressure rollers constituting the pressing device, and (2)the guide elements further comprising support rollers spaced from eachother along the opposite lateral guideway, the support rollers beingrotatable about vertical axes and the pressure rollers biasing theworkpiece supports against the support rollers, the distanceperpendicularly to the conveying direction between the pressure rollersin their relaxed state and the support rollers being less than the widthof the workpiece supports therebetween.
 2. The installation of claim 1,wherein the pressure rollers and support rollers are staggered from eachother in the conveying direction.
 3. The installation of claim 1,wherein the guide elements at the opposite lateral guideway comprisepressure rollers mounted on the workpiece supports.
 4. The installationof claim 3, further comprising a drive connected to at least some of thepressure rollers for driving the pressure rollers to assist in movingthe workpiece supports in the conveying direction.
 5. The installationof claim 4, further comprising an energy storage device mounted on theworkpiece supports and connected to the drive, an energy supply, anddetachable coupling means for connecting the energy storage device tothe energy supply.
 6. An installation for processing components, whichcomprises(a) a series of workpiece supports having receptacles forholding the components, each workpiece support having opposite sides,the workpiece supports being comprised of two parts,(1) a lowerworkpiece support part carrying rollers for supporting the workpiecesupports on a support surface and (2) an upper workpiece support partcarrying the receptacles for the components, (b) a feed device formoving the workpiece supports in a conveying direction extendingparallel to the workpiece sides, (c) a respective lateral guidewayalongside each side of the workpiece supports and including guideelements for guiding the workpiece supports in the conveyingdirection,(1) the feed device being separate from, and being operableindependently of, the lateral guideways, and (d) a pressing device atone of the lateral guideways and arranged to bias the workpiece supportstowards the opposite lateral guideway and perpendicularly to theconveying direction whereby the workpiece supports are held without playbetween the guide elements of the lateral guideways.
 7. The installationof claim 6, further comprising positioning elements for interconnectingthe workpiece support parts in a predetermined relationship.
 8. Theinstallation of claim 6, wherein the lower and upper workpiece supportparts define a dividing plane therebetween, the rollers having stubaxles journaled in bores in the workpiece support parts and the boresbeing symmetrical with respect to the dividing plane.
 9. An installationfor processing components, which comprises(a) a series of workpiecesupports having receptacles for holding the components, each workpiecesupport having opposite sides,(1) the workpiece supports being linkedtogether to form a conveyor chain moving in a conveying plane in aconveying direction extending parallel to the workpiece support sides,(b) link pins extending parallel to the conveying plane andperpendicularly to the conveying direction linking adjacent ends ofsuccessive ones of the workpiece supports together, (c) a stepping driveconnected to the conveyor chain for moving the workpiece supports in theconveying direction, (d) a respective lateral guideway alongside eachside of the workpiece supports and including guide elements for guidingthe workpiece supports in the conveying direction,(1) the stepping drivebeing separate from, and being operable independently of, the lateralguideways, and (e) a pressing device at one of the lateral guideways andarranged to bias the workpiece supports towards the opposite lateralguideway and perpendicularly to the conveying direction whereby theworkpiece supports are held without play between the guide elements ofthe lateral guideways.
 10. An installation for processing components,which comprises(a) a series of workpiece supports having receptacles forholding the components, each workpiece support having opposite sides,(b) a feed device for moving the workpiece supports in a conveyingdirection extending parallel to the workpiece sides, the feed devicecomprising(1) friction rollers engaging an underside of the workpiecesupports and rotatable about axes extending perpendicularly to theconveying direction and parallel to a conveying plane along which theworkpiece supports are moved, (c) a respective lateral guidewayalongside each side of the workpiece supports and including guideelements for guiding the workpiece supports in the conveyingdirection,(1) the feed device being separate from, and being operableindependently of, the lateral guideways, and (d) a pressing device atone of the lateral guideways and arranged to bias the workpiece supportstowards the opposite lateral guideway and perpendicularly to theconveying direction whereby the workpiece supports are held without playbetween the guide elements of the lateral guideways.
 11. An installationfor processing components, which comprises(a) a series of workpiecesupports having receptacles for holding the components, each workpiecesupport having opposite sides, (b) a feed device for moving theworkpiece supports in a conveying direction extending parallel to theworkpiece sides, the feed device comprising(1) racks affixed to anunderside of the workpiece supports and extending in the conveyingdirection, and (2) drive pinions engaging the racks and rotatable aboutaxes extending perpendicularly to the conveying direction, (c) arespective lateral guideway alongside each side of the workpiecesupports and including guide elements for guiding the workpiece supportsin the conveying direction,(1) the feed device being separate from, andbeing operable independently of, the lateral guideways, and (d) apressing device at one of the lateral guideways and arranged to bias theworkpiece supports towards the opposite lateral guideway andperpendicularly to the conveying direction whereby the workpiecesupports are held without play between the guide elements of the lateralguideways.
 12. An installation for processing components, whichcomprises(a) a series of workpiece supports having receptacles forholding the components, each workpiece support having opposite sides,(b) a feed device for moving the workpiece supports in a conveyingdirection extending parallel to the workpiece sides, (c) a respectivelateral guideway alongside each side of the workpiece supports andincluding guide elements for guiding the workpiece supports in theconveying direction,(1) the feed device being separate from, and beingoperable independently of, the lateral guideways, for feeding theworkpiece supports along the entire length of the guideways, (d) apressing device at one of the lateral guideways and arranged to bias theworkpiece supports towards the opposite lateral guideway andperpendicularly to the conveying direction whereby the workpiecesupports are held without play between the guide elements of the lateralguideways while they are fed therealong, and (e) a housing part carryingthe lateral guideways,(1) the pressing device being arranged between thehousing part and the one lateral guideway.